Spades and Video Games: Alabama Basketball Enjoying Life In the NCAA-Tournament Bubble
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — When Alabama isn't practicing for its opening-round NCAA Tournament matchup with Iona, the Crimson Tide is spending almost all of its time in their separate hotel rooms in Indianapolis.
Jaden Shackelford likes to play video games. Herbert Jones catches up on school work and enjoys a game of spades. Nate Oats is just hoping his team can have a socially-distanced team movie night to watch "Hoosiers."
"I would say the best spades player is Herb or John Petty," Shackelford said in a video conference with the media on Wednesday afternoon.
Jones later added: "I think I'm the best spades player."
The Big Dance is unlike any other year, with all the games taking place in Indiana because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In essence, the city of Indianapolis is a giant bubble of sorts.
Players, coaches, and all team personnel had to produce two negative coronavirus tests to even leave their rooms at the beginning of the week.
"I haven't been outside since Sunday so I need to get some fresh air this afternoon," Oats said. "I think we have some scheduled time at a baseball field nearby."
Each team has its own hotel floor and Michigan and Texas Tech are staying close by Alabama's team meeting room.
"We can't really leave our hotel floor unless we're going to practice or lift weights," said Jones, who was last in the NCAA Tournament as a freshman. "A whole different experience. But it's been fun, a once in a lifetime chance to do this so I'm embracing it and having fun."
For practice times, players and coaches walk across bridges that are connected to the hotel to a convention center where the actual practices take place.
"In the convention center they have all kinds of courts set up," Oats said. "I have no idea how many they have. When you are on your court, it's just you out there. There's nobody else in there. You have your one hour and 50 minutes scheduled. They start the clock as soon as you hit the floor. Then afterwards, they have to disinfect the balls and that takes about 10 minutes and the next team is in.
"So far that has been good. Our guys like to shoot at night. Our guys were able to get in Sunday night. Because of all the teams that got here on Monday we couldn't get in at night then. Our guys are accustom to getting in the gym every night on their own. [Wednesday] night we do have an hour.
"Weight room was big enough and perfect. Our guys got a good lift in so I have no complaints."
The NBA "bubble" back in the fall produced some epic games, and, arguably, the contests were even more competitive then because players were focused solely on basketball.
The NCAA Tournament should be no different and since there wasn't one last year, the intensity on every possession will reach new heights.
Come tip-off against the Gaels on Saturday afternoon (3 p.m. TBS) inside the historic Hinkle Fieldhouse, Shackelford says the Crimson Tide will locked in.
"I feel like it is going to be super intense for me," Shackelford said. "I feel like our guys are locked in. This is an opportunity that not many of us have had. I mean JP, Reese and Herb have been here before. They can tell us about it but it is going to be different for everyone, as we all know. I feel like we will be fine. It will be a new experience for us.
"We'll soak it in and be ready to go. Oats and the coaching staff have prepared us. I feel like we will be ready."
